Society of Conservative Old Catholics
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The Society of Conservative Old Catholics a group of Old Catholic clergy and laity that are committed to "the faith of the primitive Church, as formulated in the ecumenical symbols and specified precisely by the unanimously accepted decisions of the Ecumenical Councils held in the undivided Church of the first thousand years." Declaration of Utrecht.
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[edit] Background
The Society of Conservative Old Catholics was started in 2007 by Dr. Jay N. Forrest, an Old Catholic scholar. The group consists of Old Catholic clergy and laity that are committed to "the faith of the primitive Church, as formulated in the ecumenical symbols and specified precisely by the unanimously accepted decisions of the Ecumenical Councils held in the undivided Church of the first thousand years." Declaration of Utrecht.
[edit] Membership Requirements
The membership requirements for the group seem to indicate that they are a conservative response to the liberal changes within the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches For example, they do not allow members to hold Gnostic, Theosophic or New Age beliefs. They also do not believe that women and practicing homosexuals should be ordained into Holy Orders. And they also believe that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, and that relations outside of this union are sinful.
[edit] Purpose and Goal
The purpose of the group is to "build a network of communication between conservative Old Catholic Christians and between the various conservative Old Catholic churches. It will allow conservative Old Catholic believers find churches that are "Holding fast that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all" Declaration of Utrecht
The goal of group is to foster intercommunication and networking among conservatives. They say that their "focus is not to confront, argue with, or proselytize liberals, but with one voice to preach the Gospel and establish new Old Catholic churches."
